e-Books

The future has arrived, but there's something distinctly wrong with it. Robots that were meant to abolish human labour are creating mass unemployment because political systems aren't evolving as fast as our technology. Virtual gaming economies are outstripping the GDP of some small nations, telecommunications breakthroughs have brought us porn on our video phones, and Flash-Mobs roam the urban jungles, manifesting the sublime and shaking consumers from their retail addictions.

Psyence Fiction is a collection of fourteen short stories by Rak Razam that capture the spirit of the decade and the psychedelic, hi-tech future we live in. Illustrated by some of Australia's best underground artists and photographers, the e-Book is a glimpse at the brave nu world around us and the bold characters that struggle to survive it.

"UNHEARD VOICES FROM A FORGOTTEN LAND" IS A GRAPHIC NOVEL BY AN ANONYMOUS ARTIST AND WRITER. IT DETAILS IN STARK AND BEAUTIFUL IMAGERY THE HISTORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE FOR WEST PAPUA.

BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT SENT OUT BY THE UNKNOWN AUTHORS:

Dear Friends,

Please help us help humanity by reading and encouraging other adults to read the graphic novel at www.papuanvoices.com. (Does not yet work on mobile phones.)

The Illustrator and I have chosen to release the first three chapters (60 pages) now, given the urgency of the content but also because we can update and add to this "flip book" over time. (Try your scroll wheel to flip pages.)

If you care about disappearing cultures and biodiversity, you can help raise the world's awareness of West Papua by forwarding this appeal to your friends and colleagues, or by letting them know about this through Facebook, Twitter or word-of-mouth.

If you enjoy the beautiful illustrations in this book and you come to appreciate the global significance and dire urgency of its story, please tell others about papuanvoices.com.

Launched in 2009, the book was toured to the National Young Writers Festival, Emerging Writers Festival (VIC) and West End Street Festival. In May 2010 it will be launched at WORDSTORM NT in Darwin as part of 'Tales From The Undergrowth' at Happy Yess.

As Australia increases it's commitment to uranium mining Yellowcake Country is an important fact sheet about the current state of Uranium mining in Australia. Produced the Beyond Nuclear Initiative, it seeks to explain the issues concerning uranium mining in Australia and clear outline of the perspectives of those opposing it.

The Undergrowth Digital Library is pleased to host a number of emergent and established Australian writers in e-Book form.

e-Books offer an alternative to print publishing, which is especially important when considering environmental impact in the information age. Alternatively, by opening access to global audiences and establishing relationships with readers, electronic versions of books offer a publishing testbed that can flow through to increased sales for print copies.

Undergrowth.org presents THE MAN WHO NEVER SLEEPS A novel by Levin A. Diatschenko

Trespassers wouldn't understand.

Synopsis

If you take thought as a tangible thing, imagine the clouds of thought hanging about our heads. Imagine the roof of thought-fog hanging over our cities. Beginning as a murder mystery the story unravels until it gradually unveils the origin and purpose of an organization so esoteric that it doesn't even have a name.

Lars Yenin is an overworked family man, who never gets enough sleep. When he loses both his job and family, he lies down to sleep and doesn't wake up. The mysterious coma continues for years. Two weeks into the sleep, another man who looks identical to Yenin arrives and takes over Yenin's life. Within a short time, he becomes a world-famous occultist.

This new Yenin never sleeps at all.

Chaz Darf is a sorrowful emigrant whose only enjoyment in life is art. Most of his days are spent smoking cigars on the front steps of the block of units where he lives. Nobody knows anything about his life before he came to Australia.

When Chaz goes missing, and murders of seemingly supernatural circumstances take place, the police are left with only one clue: Chaz's paintings, which clutter up his unit. Every painting is of the same subject: a beautiful but deformed woman. That's not much help, though. What the police need is the help of an expert in the occult --- they go to Lars Yenin.

The Man Who Never Sleeps is Levin A. Diatschenko's first novel, a blend of metaphysics, mystery and science fiction. Since its launch in the Darwin Fringe Festival, followed with its nation-wide distribution, it has attracted an underground following of readers as diverse and individual as the characters in the book.

During the months of August and September, The Man Who Never Sleeps will be released in a serialised form on www.undergrowth.org, featuring new illustrations by the author throughout. Readers will be able to subscribe to a special email list to receive updates when new chapters are uploaded weekly at http://www.undergrowth.org/neversleep.

Undergrowth.org presents
THE MAN WHO NEVER SLEEPS
A novel by Levin A. Diatschenko

â€œTrespassers wouldnâ€™t understand.â€

Synopsis
If you take thought as a tangible thing, imagine the clouds of thought hanging about our heads. Imagine the roof of thought-fog hanging over our citiesâ€¦
Beginning as a murder mystery the story unravels until it gradually unveils the origin and purpose of an organization so esoteric that it doesnâ€™t even have a name.

Lars Yenin is an overworked family man, who never gets enough sleep. When he loses both his job and family, he lies down to sleep and doesnâ€™t wake up. The mysterious coma continues for years. Two weeks into the sleep, another man who looks identical to Yenin arrives and takes over Yeninâ€™s life. Within a short time, he becomes a world-famous occultist.

This new Yenin never sleeps at all.

Chaz Darf is a sorrowful emigrant whose only enjoyment in life is art. Most of his days are spent smoking cigars on the front steps of the block of units where he lives. Nobody knows anything about his life before he came to Australia.

When Chaz goes missing, and murders of seemingly supernatural circumstances take place, the police are left with only one clue: Chazâ€™s paintings, which clutter up his unit. Every painting is of the same subject: a beautiful but deformed woman. Thatâ€™s not much help, though. What the police need is the help of an expert in the occult â€“ they go to Lars Yenin.

The Man Who Never Sleeps is Levin A. Diatschenkoâ€™s first novel, a blend of metaphysics, mystery and science fiction. Since its launch in the Darwin Fringe Festival, followed with its nation-wide distribution, it has attracted an underground following of readers as diverse and individual as the characters in the book.

During the months of August and September, The Man Who Never Sleeps will be released in a serialised form on www.undergrowth.org, featuring new illustrations by the author throughout. Readers will be able to subscribe to a special email list to receive updates when new chapters are uploaded weekly at http://www.undergrowth.org/neversleep.

Reviews â€œDarwin-based Diatschenkoâ€™s first novel instantly exposes the promise and talent we can expect from this young Australian.â€ -- Mary Polowski, STU Magazine.

â€œFrom vampires to sociological questioning, The Man Who Never Sleeps moves in a sequence similar to a dream, wherein the plotlines, characters, and their development is in an eternal state of change.â€â€“ STU Magazine.

â€œStarting out as somewhat of a thriller, the plot of The Man Who Never Sleeps quickly changes with various characters playing narrator, each more bizarre than the last.â€ -- STU.

â€œIf you like your books starting with a murder mystery, developing into a kind of gothic horror, but with metaphysical links back to society and a little black humour on the side â€¦ then The Man Who Never Sleeps is for you!â€â€”Jan Goldsmith, Published Or Not, 3CR.

GUNS, CORRUPTION, ILLEGAL LOGGING, JI & THE INDONESIAN MILITARY IN PAPUA NIUGINI
A PNG INVESTIGATION INTO CROSS-BORDER ISSUES; CORRUPTION, RIMBUNAN-HIJAU, GUN SMUGGLING, AND MUCH MORE.... (OR â€œTASMANIA ISNâ€™T THE ONLY PLACE WHERE GUNS AND TIMBER GO TOGETHERâ€)
This preliminary investigation is based on field interviews conducted in Papua New Guinea
throughout November 2005. Information was gathered through interviews and conversations that
were conducted with West Papuan refugees, guerrillas, priests, bishops, grassroots activists, aid
workers, ex-premiers, members of Parliament, NIO agents, PNGDF personnel, ADF personnel, ex-police,
pilots, fishermen, villagers, journalists, bookmakers, vanilla growers, marijuana growers and
even gun smugglers and a pimp.
Over twelve formal interviews were conducted in total, and the majority of those interviewed asked not to be identified in any preliminary investigations (in the hope of ensuring a full scale investigation would be conducted).

'30 years of Creative Resistance' is a compilation of writing and art celebrating the work of Friends of the Earth Australia over the last thirty years. With contributions from leading activists in the organisation over that time, it chronicles the contribution which this incredible grasroots organisation has made to the political landscape of Australia, through campaigns against deforestation, climate change, uranium mining, whilst promoting alternative energy, indigenous rights and trade justice.